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St. David's Day Festival-National Day of Wales
The St. David's Day Festival-National Day of Wales is sponsored by A Raven Above Press and takes place in Southern California either on or around the closest weekend to March 1st. The festival celebrates Welsh and Welsh American culture through live performance, workshops, children's education, language classes and vendor marketplace. The goal is to raise awareness about Welsh and Welsh American identity and encourage continued growth between the United States and Wales. History On March 3, 2013, the St. David's Day Festival took place at the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood, California. The park was partially designed by Welsh-American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Barnsdall is nestled atop a shaded hill and away from the city bustle, the park has a clear view of the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park (named for Welsh philanthropist Griffith J. Griffith) and near the infamous Gower Street to the west (known for the golden age of cinema and Welsh-American stars like Glenn Ford and Myrna Loy). Inside the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre there was a grand concert featuring the rare 1962 short film 'Dylan Thomas' starring Richard Burton. After this the Welsh Choir of Southern California (Côr Cymraeg De Califfornia) performed, followed by Paul Child, and in her debut North American appearance - Welsh soprano and harpist Siobhan Owen. Before the concert, there was a druid blessing with a Mari Lwyd inviting people to gather. The headliner for the festival was Siobhan Owen. Siobhan was born in North Wales to a Welsh father and Irish mother, and moved to Australia when she was 2 years old. A classically trained singer from the age of 9, Siobhan also turns her haunting soprano voice and gentle harp playing to a repertoire of traditional Celtic songs. She has received prestigious awards for both her classical and Celtic singing and is a popular performer. Outside the grand concert there was a free Celtic marketplace, Welsh language classes by Jason Shepherd of the Learn Welsh Podcast, Celtic workshops, Welsh Corgi demonstrations, children activities, and the LA Eisteddfod featuring poetry, storytelling, readings and performance. Welsh food was available by the Welsh Baker and there was a book release party for 'The Children's Voice: A Definitive Collection of Welsh Nursery Rhymes' by Peter Anthony Freeman and published by A Raven Above Press. The book featured artists from both Wales and the US. A short documentary entitled 'Do Ye the Little Things in Life: St. David's Day Festival-National Day of Wales 2013' was made by Executive Director Lorin Morgan-Richards and videographer Rob Browning. The plot summary from IMDB states "Welsh and Welsh Americans return to Hollywood for the first annual St. David's Day Festival, a triumphant gathering since the success of the 2011 West Coast Eisteddfod. Welsh heritage has long been tied with the creative arts, and profoundly so in Hollywood where actors like Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Ioan Gruffudd, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Sheen have become international stars. While even with this, the Welsh in Los Angeles are forced to come to terms with the closure of a major cultural landmark, the Welsh Presbyterian Church. The resilience of the Welsh community springs back to action with a heart to contribute to the greater whole. Executive Director Lorin Morgan-Richards (a Welsh-American) shares the talents of those involved intertwined by the beautiful concert of festival headliner Siobhan Owen, a Welsh and Irish soprano and harpist." The film is free to view by clicking here Do Ye the Little Things in Life: St. David's Day Festival-National Day of Wales 2013. March 1, 2014, marked the second annual St. David's Day Festival in Los Angeles. The festivities took place on a rainy day inside the Cinefamily Silent Movie Theater (611 N. Fairfax Ave). Despite the weather, attendance was near capicity, as participants included the Welsh Choir of Southern California, harpist Aedan MacDonnell and headliner Meinir Gwilym who was making her North American debut. Author and Druid Peter Anthony Freeman hosted. Jason Shepherd from Swansea taught Welsh language classes, Rochelle Rosenkild lead a craft class with dragon wings, and nearly 1,000 Welsh cakes sold out in less than two hours by the families of Joe Marenghi and Hilary Dekker. VIP attendees were treated to special gift bags including a CD of CELT by Meinir Gwilym (exclusively distributed in the US/Canada by A Raven Above Press), and a copy of The Age Of Saints: A Illustrated Guide to the Saints of Wales by Peter Anthony Freeman, both celebrating their March 1st release date. Hollywood film star Thomas Dekker was also in attendance, whose mother is originally from the Newport area, and Lorin Morgan-Richards received a special award for his service to the Welsh community and abroad, the 2014 Los Angeles Eisteddfod Honorary Recognition for Bardic Achievements. The program ended with all the performers singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. A major highlight of the festival was the display of a historic Eisteddfod Chair and their family being present to speak. As Diane E. Jones describes: her grandfather, William Edward Ellis Jones, helped carve the chair for the 1909 San Francisco Eisteddfod. William was born in Corris Uchaf North Wales on Nov 18, 1878, and came to North America through Ellis Island, eventually settling in Los Angeles before he passed. The chair was awarded to a baritone who took it on a world tour traveling to various Welsh communities. A unique feature of the chair is the image of the Welsh Dragon holding a California flag.